encounter at UPS

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silverlance

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After much trepidation, I finally shipped my Mosquito back to SIG today via UPS overnight.

I was NOT hassled by the clerk, no one said "You have a HANDGUN in here?!" and called the supervisors or cops (as they did at the USPS), there was no waiting in like for 45 minutes, parking was free, and I was given my own little cubby to type up a custom shipping order tag that got printed out on a sticker.

The clerk even told me about a gunsmith nearby who did a great job on his Ruger Blackhawk, and assured me that if they couldn't get the package on the UPS plane tonight UPS would pay for a seat aboard a commercial liner and deliver it that way! :)

By 10:30AM tomorrow morning, he said, SIG would be holding my skeeter.

Wow! I looked around and thought, is this some wierd extra dimensional pocket plane in Los Angeles?

then he handed me the bill for OV to Exeter, NH:

SIXTY EIGHT DOLLARS AND FORTY SEVEN CENTS!!!!

:what: :scrutiny: :cuss: :banghead: :eek:
 
Coulda been worse

The amount would have been the same if you had been treated like you had the plague. So, at least they were polite for your 68 bucks! :neener:
 
The clerk even told me about a gunsmith nearby who did a great job on his Ruger Blackhawk
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Sounds like you found a fellow shooter. Give him an invite to THR, being from CA and working for UPS he may be a great resource for shipping knowledge.
 
I just shipped my gun to Ruger for about $25 with FedEx.

The fedex shop downtown wouldn't ship it, I had to go to their main office. Then the guy there told me he had to go ask someone if they could ship it. He came back and said I had to have a license for it. I told him there's no such thing as a gun license in CA. Eventually, he called someone else, came back and said "Yeah, we can ship it". Jeez... Next time I'll just not say it's a gun.
 
I shipped an AR upper back for service at a UPS depot near me. I called it a 'machine part'.

It's part of a machine isn't it?
 
rcvr

as long as its not a reciever you can ship it using anything you want. heck you can send it super slow parcel post.

when i ship my C&R firearms i declare them as antiques.
when i ship gun parts i declare them as outdoor accessories
 
shipping firearms via UPS

I've only had one bad experience with UPS,did the paperwork and declared that it was a pistol clerk says "you can't ship a pistol unless you have FFL".
Politely told him/her not true I CAN if its going to a gunsmith or back to the factory.He/she went looking for a supervisor and came back lo and behold I was right got package shipped. I don't have that problem anymore as the clerks at UPS know me Or maybe cause I bring my 3 legged Sheltie for distraction.
I do agree the shipping cost is a bit stiff. needed to ship a pistol back to Ruger inh,I live in Ma called UPS they gave me some outrageous price and I asked "why so much? It's only going to the next state'. I was told "IT HAS TO GO TO ATLANTA,GA to go to NH. and to this I'm thinking "what's wrong with this picture? BTW part of the problem was guns were vanishiing of the back of UPS trucks turned out that some of the drivers were stealing them and selling them on the streets. They were caught and punished but from that time on hand guns next day or nothing
 
Yup.
The Fedex agent here is cordial so I go with them instead of the snots at the UPS depot. But it is still a ripoff, $75 to send a pistol priority air to Bruce Gray, $65 coming back regular air.

My local FFL will sign the post office form but I have to walk it through. Cost is about half but dealing with the hysterical postal clerk and the postmaster the last time made me willing to pay Fedex on this one.

Be careful about that "machine part" business.
BATF regulations require that you notify the carrier that you are shipping a firearm, which includes a bare serial numbered receiver. (Although not a non-numbered part like an AR upper or a FN lower.) There is an internet expert who will point out that in the actual law, such notification is required only if shipment is not to an FFL, but I would not bet on it. If a deceptively identified gun package went astray, an insurance claim would probably be more hassle than usual... which is saying a lot.
 
There is an internet expert who will point out that in the actual law, such notification is required only if shipment is not to an FFL, but I would not bet on it.
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Agreed! The law "may" be written that way, but how its has been interpreted and enforced is what counts. (Unless you have lots of money and like to spend time in court.:D )

Dean
 
Be careful about that "machine part" business.
BATF regulations require that you notify the carrier that you are shipping a firearm, which includes a bare serial numbered receiver. (Although not a non-numbered part like an AR upper or a FN lower.) There is an internet expert who will point out that in the actual law, such notification is required only if shipment is not to an FFL, but I would not bet on it.
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I've never understood why some gun owners don't feel like obeying the law is good enough. Lets all put trigger locks on at home and quit carrying concealed to be extra safe too ;) With no internet expert talk I will say that the ATF requires no such thing unless its going to a non FFL. Flat out read the code, ask the ATF, we're talking very clear law here. Even at the very least if you don't like the advice quit telling people that "the atf requires" and "I would not bet on it" unless its factual information please. Here's a letter from the ATF and you'll see the relevant code listed that you can google and read yourself.

atf.jpg
 
The clerk even told me about a gunsmith nearby who did a great job on his Ruger Blackhawk, and assured me that if they couldn't get the package on the UPS plane tonight UPS would pay for a seat aboard a commercial liner and deliver it that way!
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For some reason, im just chuckling at the thought of a manager telling some pimply faced UPS summer-jobber "Hey, take this airplane ticket and this package, and drop it off at the main hub in *city of choice* and fly back".

I'd love to be standing next to the ensuing chaos when, not knowing any better, said worker has the small box x-rayed in the security lines.

Good customer service though!
 
Vitamin G said:
I'd love to be standing next to the ensuing chaos when, not knowing any better, said worker has the small box x-rayed in the security lines.
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Maybe they intend to check the packag einto the cargo hold?
I've always wanted to be a courier!
 
Wow, is that what S&W paid both ways for my warranty repair? I also had a good experience at UPS. I brought my gun in its case, as well as the prepaid shipping label S&W sent me. They helped me find a box the right size, packed it up and the young lady assisting me didn't bat an eye when I informed her verbally (as per S&W instructions) that a handgun was the item being shipped. Also of note, I mailed it at 7pm from PA and the online tracking advised me it was at S&W in Mass. by 10am the next day.
 
When my SA M1A puked it's extractor out I shipped the bolt, firing pin, ejector pin and the ejector spring back to SA via UPS. I addressed the padded envelope to "Springfield Incorporated". When the guy at the UPS store asked what was in the package I said "A bolt, a spring and two pins". :D I doubt he knew what I was talking about.
 
I shipped by UPS

yesterday...a Ruger New Vaquero revolver. UPS person at counter was very nice to me and knew her business. It did cost $47 for overnight from Iowa to New Hampshire and it did get there in less than 24 hours. The woman even said she was pretty sure that this was the rate she had to go with but would check after she accepted it and refund any overage she had charged. I believed her..she just came across as that honest. This was at the terminal, not a UPS store. I called a UPS store and the man had no real inkling...he said he couldn't ship it unless I had a gun dealer's license. I told him I thought he was wrong and to give me the toll free number at UPS to check. I checked and they told me what I could do, that is, I could send it. So, I went to the terminal counter, not the UPS store. By the way....shipping a package at 1:00 PM Central Time on Thursday to get there at 11:00 AM on Friday 900 miles away takes some work and, of course, air freighting it. I sort of gasped when she said $47 but, really, that is not so bad for the service. $4 of it was extra insurance to insure it for $500. There was a rural address surcharge because apparently Ruger is somewhat out there from the city and there was a fuel surcharge. I will certainly use UPS again. This was the first time I have ever shipped a gun of any kind.
 
I talked to Bob about this on the phone. He told me that UPS themselves recommended what he has on his website. That the UPS "definition" of a handgun is something that can be pulled out and used right there as a gun. Not a collection of incomplete parts whether those parts contain a receiver or not. UPS rules are not the same as Federal regulations and the definitions are different as well.

http://www.apwcogan.com/company.htm

Shipping changes through UPS in 1999 have made the following instructions the RULE.

Complete Handguns must be shipped NEXT DAY AIR.

If you want to ship GROUND, you need to split your handgun into TWO BOXES making sure that a functionally required part is separated. That part may be a barrel or recoil spring and the rest of the gun field stripped.

Example:
Revolver: Frame and Parts in one box. Cylinder and parts in second box.
Semi Autos: Frame/parts and slide in one box. Internal and barrel parts in second separate box.
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My understanding is also that you must ship from a UPS Customer Service Center, not just a UPS store, that may be why some of you didn't get straight answers about shipping a handgun.
 
yeah, that overnight stuff really costs big time. I've never used it in my entire life.

After reading this thread, I now know that you're supposed to say you are shipping a gun... I don't reallly like that, its just telling these clerks that "hey man, there's something valuable and stealable in here..."
 
Find a friendly FFL who will ship your handguns for you. They can send them thru the US Mail. Much, much cheaper - even for Exress mail.

The gunsmith I use is a kitchen table ( :) garage actually) FFL and charges the shipping fee plus a modest amount for his time. Very reasonable.
 
UPS has a couple levels of overnight service. you should ask for Overnight Air Saver. it's cheaper. and that's the way Sig will send it back.
 
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